Senior Contracts and Grants Manager at IFES

IFES is a non-profit, non-partisan international organization. As the global leader in democracy promotion, IFES advances good governance and democratic rights by providing technical assistance to election officials; empowering the underrepresented to participate in the political process; and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle. Since 1987, IFES has worked in over 145 countries, from developing democracies to mature democracies.

Since 1994, IFES has played a significant role in promoting electoral, administrative, and legal reform in Ukraine. In cooperation with partners in Ukrainian civil society and the Central Election Commission (CEC), IFES is working to foster dialogue on electoral reform, build the capacity of local NGOs, institutionalize best practices in training election officials and ensure more equal representation in the electoral process for disadvantaged populations, especially women, representatives of national minorities and persons with disabilities.

IFES Ukraine is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Senior Contracts and Grants Manager

The Senior Contracts and Grants Manager will be responsible for providing support with procurement-related activities under the supervision of IFES Ukraine Head of Operations.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee and manage all IFES Ukraine`s field procurement processes;
• Supervise a team of contract and grant-making professionals, providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to support their growth and success;
• Lead the process of registration of international technical assistance projects in Ukraine, from start to finish to ensure that all necessary documentation is prepared and submitted correctly and on time to relevant authorities;
• Build and maintain effective relationships with clients, vendors, donors, and other relevant parties to foster collaboration and ensure mutual understanding of contractual and grant requirements;
• Oversee and optimize procurement administration in line with IFES and donor`s regulations, as well as Ukrainian legislation;
• Oversee the entire lifecycle of contracts and grant, from inception to closeout, ensuring compliance with organizational and donor policies and relevant national regulations;
• Negotiate terms and conditions with clients, vendors, and subcontractors to achieve favorable outcomes while mitigating risks;
• Coordinate with IFES HQ on grant and procurement actions as needed;
• Stay abreast of regulatory changes and good practices in contract and grant management, and implement necessary updates to internal procedures;
• Conduct regular internal audits and assessments to evaluate compliance with contractual and grant requirements, identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions as needed;
• Ensure accurate and comprehensive documentation and filing of contract and grant-related activities, including agreements, amendments, correspondence, and audit findings, ensuring adherence to recordkeeping standards and data confidentiality requirements;
• Lead on optimization of IFES Ukraine’s internal procurement processes and procedures, in line with existing policies and regulations;
• Conduct compliance review of grantee financial and narrative reports;
• Ensure accuracy and compliance of grantee financial and narrative reports, ensure all documentation is included;
• Review grant agreements and prepare budgets;
• Conduct grants management seminars for grantees, provide guidance, and explain IFES and donor policies and procedures with regard to expending grant funds and preparation of reports;
• Conduct regular internal capacity development trainings on good practices in the sphere of procurement and ensure field personnel compliance with IFES and donor policies;
• Strengthen grantees’ administrative and operational capacity;
• Prepare financial documentation for closed-out grants, amendments, dispositions, and cancelation of grants;
• Maintain grant files and ensure their completeness and compliance;
• Other position-related duties as assigned.

SKILLS and SPECIFICATIONS

• Strong background in procurement, financial administration and office management;
• Excellent people management skills, and ability to build strong relationships and synergies  with senior management and other units;
• Ability to work and complete tasks with limited supervision;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to remain highly organized while handling multiple tasks under tight deadlines;
• Excellent writing, reporting and document handling skills;
• Excellent attention to details;
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, presentation, and briefing skills;
• Ability to show initiative, good judgment, and resourcefulness;
• Strategic thinking and ability to develop innovative solutions;
• Ability and skills to promote and inspire effective collaboration between individuals, organizations and networks;
• Value operating in a collaborative and cooperative environment;
• Willingness to adhere to all principles of confidentiality;
• Conduct himself/herself with integrity and function ethically.

EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s Degree in Operations, Management, Finance, Accounting or other relevant fields preferred;
• Minimum of eight years of relevant work experience;
• Experience in grant and contract management;
• Demonstrated professional experience with a development project, NGO or International Organizations;
• Experience in optimizing and overseeing procurement systems;
• Experience in designing and implementing M&E systems is an advantage;
• Familiarity with the international donor community and experience as an action-oriented interlocutor with democracy-development actors at all levels;
• Experience working on UK/USAID/Canada-funded programs is strongly preferred;
• Training/facilitation skill is an advantage;
• Proficiency in MS Office suite.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Fluency in English and Ukrainian languages is required.

TRAVEL: Travel may be required.

This position is based in Kyiv, and the incumbent will be expected to work on-site.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and a Letter of Interest in English. We will review candidates on a rolling basis.

All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment/promotions and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. IFES encourages people with disabilities and from other diverse backgrounds to apply.

2024-05-22T14:19:09.000 2024-06-20T23:59:59.000 Full time / Повна зайнятість International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)